JOB HELP Job Help Articles for Graduates

Mohsin Hakim sinhaki@gmail.com

Abstract Intention is to give knowledge for job seekers and help employed to do their job

more profoundly

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Table of Contents

The Big Picture ............................................................................................................................................... 3

After Graduation ............................................................................................................................................. 5

After Engineering in India .............................................................................................................................. 6

Brightest Star in the Sky ................................................................................................................................. 7

Job market in India - 2015 .............................................................................................................................. 8

IT Space 2015 ............................................................................................................................................... 12

How to Apply for a Job ................................................................................................................................. 14

Common Advice ........................................................................................................................................... 14

In India .......................................................................................................................................................... 15

IT Job ............................................................................................................................................................ 17

Positive Body Language ............................................................................................................................... 19

Social Media ................................................................................................................................................. 21

Networking ................................................................................................................................................... 22

Software Engineer ......................................................................................................................................... 23

Development Job .......................................................................................................................................... 24

Five Myths .................................................................................................................................................... 25

Don’ts ............................................................................................................................................................ 26

Resume .......................................................................................................................................................... 27

Do's & Don’ts................................................................................................................................................ 27

What to Include ............................................................................................................................................. 28

Review .......................................................................................................................................................... 30

Interview ....................................................................................................................................................... 31

Skills - Initial Preparation ............................................................................................................................. 31

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Skills - Competency Based ........................................................................................................................... 32

Questions ....................................................................................................................................................... 33

Top 10 ........................................................................................................................................................... 33

Information Technology (IT) ........................................................................................................................ 33

Ask the Employer ......................................................................................................................................... 34

Top 10 Behavioral ......................................................................................................................................... 35

Difficult ......................................................................................................................................................... 35

Technical ....................................................................................................................................................... 37

Email Communication .................................................................................................................................. 39

Etiquettes Part-1 ............................................................................................................................................ 39

Etiquettes Part-2 ............................................................................................................................................ 44

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................... 47

100 Words ...................................................................................................................................................... 47

Top 500 key words ......................................................................................................................................... 53

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The Big Picture

The world’s ‘digital universe’ will grow to 8 ZB by 2015. While this figure is very daunting, the bigger challenge is the different data forms and formats within that 8 ZB data. IDC predicts that by 2015, over 90 percent of that data will be unstructured. Just think, every 60 seconds, the world generates massive amounts of unstructured data:

98,000+ tweets.

695,000 Facebook status updates.

11,000,000,000 instant messages.

168,000,000,000+ emails sent.

1,820,000,000,000+ bytes of data created.

Surveillance Footage: Generic metadata (date, time, location, etc.) is automatically attached to video files. However as IP cameras continue to proliferate, there is a greater opportunity to embed more intelligence into the camera on the edges so that footage can be captured, analysed, and tagged in real time. This type of tagging can expedite crime investigations for security insights, enhance retail analytics for consumer traffic patterns and of course improve military intelligence as videos from drones across multiple geographies are compared for pattern correlations, crowd emergence and response or measuring the effectiveness of counterinsurgency.

Embedded and Medical Devices: In future, sensors of all types including those that may be implanted into the body will capture vital and non-vital biometrics, track medicine effectiveness, correlate bodily activity with health, monitor potential outbreaks of viruses, etc. all in real time thereby realizing automated healthcare with prediction and precaution.

Entertainment and Social Media: Trends based on crowds or massive groups of individuals can be a great source of big data to help bring to market the "next big thing," help pick winners and losers in the stock market, and even predict the outcome of elections all based on information users freely publish through social outlets.

Consumer Images: We say a lot about ourselves when we post pictures of ourselves or our families or friends. A picture used to be worth a thousand words but the advent of big data has introduced a significant multiplier. The key will be the introduction of sophisticated tagging algorithms that can analyses images either in real time when pictures are taken or uploaded after they are aggregated from various Websites.

Virtualized: A converged infrastructure requires the virtualization of all heterogeneous resources: compute, storage, networking, and I/O. Virtualization separates the applications, data, and network connections from the underlying hardware, thereby making it easier and faster to reallocate resources to match the changing performance, throughput, and capacity needs of individual applications. This end-to-end virtualization improves IT flexibility and response to business requests, ultimately improving business speed and agility.

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Resilient: A converged infrastructure integrates non-stop technologies and high availability policies. Because diverse applications share virtualized resource pools, a converged infrastructure must have an operating environment that automates high-availability policies to meet SLAs. A resilient, converged infrastructure provides the right level of availability for each business application.

Open: Products are being built using open standards. This avoids vendor lock-in. Also interoperability and portability are easily accomplished. Orchestrated: A converged infrastructure orchestrates the business request with the applications, data, and infrastructure. It defines the policies and service levels through automated workflows, provisioning, and change management design by IT and the business. Orchestration provides an application-aligned infrastructure that can be scaled up or down based on the needs of each application. Orchestration also provides centralized management of the resource pool, including billing, metering, and chargeback for consumption. Modular: A converged infrastructure is built on modular design principles based on open and interoperable standards. A modular approach allows IT to integrate new technologies with existing investments without having to start over. This approach also gives IT the ability to extend new capabilities and to scale capacity over time.

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After Graduation

You will not judge by what you have studied but what you do after education.

Campus Placement

Job Hunt

• Pros: Income generating option, Independent living, Helping parents with money, Earning for oneself for further studies

• Cons: Today's economy encourages higher education, Lesser paying jobs, Lower post of working, Hard work needed for upraises

Masters Degree • Pros: melding with the environment, Cheaper, Family and Friends are available when needed

, Quality education, Appropriate weather conditions

• Cons: Entrance test good marks, Tough competition, More theoretical studies than practical exposure, Gender, Religion, Caste may come into play, Not sufficient exposure to students

Do an MBA • Pros: Knowledge of two fields ( Science and Commerce ),More job opportunities, Enables you

to start your own business, Managerial skills, Helps in personality development and betterment

• Cons: Expensive, good university is a must, No guarantee for success

Go Abroad

• Pros: International Exposure, Independent living experience, More emphasis on practical knowledge than theory, A foreign degree pays well in India , Lesser competition

• Cons: Expensive, Away from friends and family , Not very suitable living conditions, Hassle of VISA approval and work permit, Expensive living

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After Engineering in India

Should I go for MBA or MS, or rather should i directly look for a job?

All engineering students at some point of time have this thought in their mind.

Master’s Degree

India Overseas MBA

Pros Cons Pros Cons Pros Cons

Melding with the environment

Entry is very dif-ficult

International Ex-posure

Expensive More job opportu-nities

Expensive

Economical Tough competi-tion

Independent liv-ing experience

Away from friends and family

Enables you to start your own business

A good univer-sity is a must

Family and Friends are available when needed

More theoretical studies than practical expo-sure

More emphasis on practical knowledge than theory

Not very suitable living conditions

Managerial skills Not a guaran-tee for success

Quality educa-tion

Gender, Reli-gion, Caste may come into play

Pays well in In-dia

Hassle of VISA ap-proval and work permit

Helps in person-ality development and betterment

Appropriate weather condi-tions

Not sufficient exposure to stu-dents

Lesser competi-tion

Expensive living

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Job

India with Studies

Pros Cons Pros Cons

Income generating option

economy encour-ages higher educa-tion

Earn and study to-gether

Online and long distance courses are not given much importance

Independent living Lesser paying jobs Higher education Missing necessary exposure

Helping parents with money

Lower post of work-ing

Helping parents with money

Hectic life schedule for handling both job and studies

Earning for oneself for further studies

Hard work needed for upraises

Requires a lot of hard work

Brightest Star in the Sky

Internships: Professional internships are often one of the best ways to further educate yourself about your specific field and to gather an abundance of reputable networks for potential future jobs. It goes without saying that having internship will look good on your resume and instantly impress potential employers. Internships are also a great way to get a shoe in the door into a particular company. Going forward, as you have already gained first-hand experience of the business and its culture, you will have a huge advantage over your competitor’s when the time comes to hire new graduates. Which would you prefer – blindly applying for the role with potentially hundreds of other candidates or being able to reach out to one of your contacts within the business?

When you dedicate the vast majority of the first quarter of your life to schooling (plus the costs involved in getting an education) it is imperative to ensure that you make the most of your education and begin to set yourself up for the “real world”. In order to take advantage of the skills that you have learned, there are a various extra-curricular activities you can do to ensure that you get the most out of what you have paid for. Internships, part-time jobs and volunteer work are the best ways to not only benefit yourself long term but you cannot go wrong with having a little extra “coin” in the pocket right now. Part-Time/ Casual Jobs:

Generally speaking most university students will aim to work part-time during their studies. Not only will you learn real life experiences and grow your networking contacts, it is also possible to make a reasonable income which will help in creating a more balanced approach to your university life. It goes without saying that if you can get a job in your chosen field, this can certainly benefit you going forward. However, any type of job will still be considered as work experience to future prospective employers.

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Volunteer Work Volunteer work is extremely popular amongst graduates. It can be a way of making a difference in the world whilst accumulating experience. It also looks impressive on a resume. Performing volunteer work can teach you an abundance of life skills and provide you with the opportunity to help those in need or to raise funds for a cause that you feel strongly about. In the cut throat world of job seeking, having volunteer work on your resume is always a positive and portrays a positive image and good first impression to the hiring manager. Does Your Resume Stand Out? When applying for graduate positions the more value added experience you can include on the resume the greater your chance of finding success. By performing extra-curricular activities, working part time or volunteering your time, will give you an edge over other job candidates who only share similar educational backgrounds to yourself. Remember that as a graduate you need to distinguish yourself from the crowd and brand yourself as a well-rounded job candidate.

Job market in India - 2015

Promising one with a steady flow of investments from top industries specifically in the field of IT.

Data Scientist

India has been breeding the world's top data scientists serving not just the world's top companies but even in government agencies. According to the 2011 Nasscom-Crisil study, the analytics market will grow into the size worth $5.6B this year employing up to 200,000 individuals. Entry-level data scientist can earn 6-8lakh per annum while a senior advisor can reap up to 25lakh.

Senior IT Professional

Significant increase in hiring IT professionals with more experience. Opportunities for senior IT professionals doubled for many years catering not just to IT sectors but also in industries like retail, BPO, and banking.

A very profitable career, senior IT professionals earn 10-17lakh annually while those with 20 years of experience can reap at least 45lakh.

Mechanical Engineer

India is a nation of engineers and there is a solid demand for this workforce in the economy both in the private and public sectors. Industries hiring mechanical engineers are power, oil, construction, and pharmaceuticals? To name a few. Mechanical engineers can earn from 1.2lakh to 7.2 lakh annually.

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Software Developer

India holds the biggest share when it comes to the IT sector. For years, software engineers will still be one of the highest paid employees in the Indian job market with average annual salary from 41-72 lakh.

Aspiring software developers will be delighted to know that there will still be thousands of vacancies for software developer jobs for 2015 and for the succeeding years.

Bankers

With the Reserve Bank of India opening 2000 branches all over the country, fresher’s and experienced candidates can expect more and more banking job vacancies for this year. On top of government banks are job opportunities from rural, private and big corporation banks in India with thousands of demand from future bankers.

Interested applicants must be updated with bank exams schedules. There are many banking jobs available like banking officers and investment bankers. With the rise of many industries in India, the banking sector also booms with employees enjoying good salary rates of up to 70lakh per year.

Digital Marketers

With an Internet population of 200 Million, companies have a good target market to in marketing their products and service online. And this does not include the global landscape dominated by digital marketing when consumers would check for online reviews or online sites before actually going to the store. Add the fact of the rise of e-commerce not just in India but also across the globe.

There is an estimated 16,000 job vacancies available for aspiring digital marketers from companies across all sectors from construction to retail. Digital marketers earn at least 16lakh annually.

Counsels and lawyers

As new companies are launched regularly like startups and bigger companies expanding their territories, more and more legal professionals are hired. For smaller enterprises like startups, legal professionals are needed for contracts while big Indian companies expanding overseas as well as multinational companies investing in India require an expertise in international law.

Lucrative salaries await for potential lawyers and counsels depending on seniority and the complexities of their job descriptions. For this job, annual salaries have an average of up to 1.5cr.

Teachers

With its population continues to swell, there will always be a constant need for quality education. If you don't know what career to have, why not join the education sector? Teaching is one of the most reputable jobs in India and thanks to salary modifications in recent years; there is a high hope for those who are looking for teaching jobs in India.

From basic to high school teachers, there are more teaching positions offered in both public and private sectors? Universities, polytechnic colleges and vocational schools. There is also a demand for English teachers in India. Teachers can earn from 3-20lakh per year.

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Retail Planner

India's economy has a steady increase in retail, from 7%in 2013 and projected to increase up to 10% in 2018. A big factor to such retail growth is e-commerce, completing the strong structure of India's IT sector. With e-commerce, more and more online stores are launched while big companies work on building an online store to complement their stand-alone shops.

A retail planner in <u>India</u> can earn from 2.5-6lakh per year. As a retail planner, top job duties include research, tracking, and sales.

Product Managers

Subsequently, there will be an increase of demand for product managers for 2015. Just like retail planners, this is spurred by the growth of the online industry. Candidates with MBAs are most likely hired to be product managers with an annual salary starting at 60lakh.

Related job titles under this scope are associate product managers, senior product managers, and e-commerce product managers who are tasked to administer new, existing, and future products within the business organization.

India's job market for 2015 is a promising one with a steady flow of investments from top industries specifically in the field of IT. Likewise, with campaigns from the government, expect more jobs like mechanical engineering jobs in Coimbatore that you can easily search on job tonic. Take a look at this list and you might be the perfect candidate.

Data Scientist India has been breeding the world's top data scientists serving not just the world's top companies but even in government agencies. According to the 2011 Nasscom-Crisil study, the analytics market will grow into the size worth $5.6B this year employing up to 200,000 individuals. Entry-level data scientist can earn 6-8lakh per annum while a senior advisor can reap up to 25lakh.

Retail Planner India's economy has a steady increase in retail, from 7%in 2013 and projected to increase up to 10% in 2018. A big factor to such retail growth is e-commerce, completing the strong structure of India's IT sector. With e-commerce, more and more online stores are launched while big companies work on building an online store to complement their stand-alone shops. A retail planner in India can earn from 2.5-6lakh per year. As a retail planner, top job duties include research, tracking, and sales.

Product Managers subsequently, there will be an increase of demand for product managers for 2015. Just like retail planners, this is spurred by the growth of the online industry. Candidates with MBAs are most likely hired to be product managers with an annual salary starting at 60lakh. Related job titles under this scope are associate product managers, senior product managers, and e-commerce product managers who are tasked to administer new, existing, and future products within the business organization.

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Mechanical Engineer Great news for those waiting for vacancies for mechanical engineering both for mechanical engineer jobs in Coimbatore for fresher’s and mechanical engineering jobs in Coimbatore for experienced. India is a nation of engineers and there is a solid demand for this workforce in the economy both in the private and public sectors. Industries hiring mechanical engineers are power, oil, construction, and pharmaceuticals? To name a few. Mechanical engineers can earn from 1.2lakh to 7.2 lakh annually.

Software Developer India holds the biggest share when it comes to the IT sector. For years, software engineers will still be one of the highest paid employees in the Indian job market with average annual salary from 41-72 lakh. Aspiring software developers will be delighted to know that there will still be thousands of vacancies for software developer jobs for 2015 and for the succeeding years.

Bankers With the Reserve Bank of India opening 2000 branches all over the country, fresher’s and experienced candidates can expect more and more banking job vacancies for this year. On top of government banks are job opportunities from rural, private and big corporation banks in India with thousands of demand from future bankers. Interested applicants must be updated with bank exams schedules. There are many banking jobs available like banking officers and investment bankers. With the rise of many industries in India, the banking sector also booms with employees enjoying good salary rates of up to 70lakh per year.

Digital Marketers With an Internet population of 200 Million, companies have a good target market to in marketing their products and service online. And this does not include the global landscape dominated by digital marketing when consumers would check for online reviews or online sites before actually going to the store. Add the fact of the rise of e-commerce not just in India but also across the globe. There is an estimated 16,000 job vacancies available for aspiring digital marketers from companies across all sectors from construction to retail.

Counsels and lawyers as new companies are launched regularly like startups and bigger companies expanding their territories, more and more legal professionals are hired. For smaller enterprises like startups, legal professionals are needed for contracts while big Indian companies expanding overseas as well as multinational companies investing in India require an expertise in international law. Lucrative salaries await for potential lawyers and counsels depending on seniority and the complexities of their job descriptions. For this job, annual salaries have an average of up to 1.5cr.

Teachers With its population continues to swell, there will always be a constant need for quality education. If you don't know what career to have, why not join the education sector? Teaching is one of the most reputable jobs in India and thanks to salary modifications in recent years; there is a high hope for

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those who are looking for teaching jobs in India. From basic to high school teachers, there are more teaching positions offered in both public and private sectors? Universities, polytechnic colleges and vocational schools. There is also a demand for English teachers in India. With a strong working force, India needs an impeccable education for its population. Teachers can earn from 3-20lakh per year.

Senior IT Professional IT won't come as a surprise that IT professionals will make it to the list of "hot" jobs in India for 2015. But here is the catch; there is a significant increase in hiring IT professionals with more experience. Opportunities for senior IT professionals doubled for many years catering not just to IT sectors but also in industries like retail, BPO, and banking. A very profitable career, senior IT professionals earn 10-17lakh annually while those with 20 years of experience can reap at least 45lakh.

- See more at: http://www.merinews.com/article/indian-job-market-the-10-best-jobs-of-2015/15904541.shtml#sthash.WtawoXkH.dpuf

IT Space 2015

Extended Device

Ecosystem

Sentient and Smart Materials

Extreme and Deeper

interactions.

Infrastructure Optimization

Unified Platform and

Middleware Solutions

Trendy and handy Attaching scores of edge technologies

Connectivity Standards

Programmable Intermediation

slim and sleek mobile

calm Technologies Consolidated Aggregation

wearable infinitesimal and dis-posable sensors and

actuators

Platforms and Appli-ances for device-to-

device Converged Dissemination

implantable and portable

stickers tags labels motes dots specks

device-to-cloud Adaptive Arbitration

and energy-aware devices

ordinary objects to exhibit

cloud-to-cloud Automated Enrichment

Instrumented inter-connected

extraordinary capa-bilities

on premise to off-premise

Shared Collaboration

intelligent devices QoS-enabling Delivery

Green and Lean In-

frastructures Management,

Governance

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New-Generation Databases

Real-Time, Predictive, and

Prescriptive Analytics

Process Innova-tion and

Architecture Assimilation

A Bevy of Pioneering

Technologies

Next-Generation Applications

SQL Big Data Analytics SOA Virtualization Social

NoSQL In-Memory Computing

EDA Miniaturization Mobile

NewSQL SCA Integration Cloud

Hybrid Databases for the Big Data

MDA Composition Enterprise

ROA Sensing Web

WOA Vision Analytical

Perception Embedded Application

Mobility,

Visualization.

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How to Apply for a Job

Common Advice

Know what you want At the beginning or even at the peak of your career, always be clear about what you want: What you want from your job? Why you are doing what you do? When do you need to switch career tracks? Are you doing what you love? The more you know what you want, the more you will understand yourself. Why you do what you do When faced with challenges or even when you are far along any endeavor, remind yourself why you’re doing what you do. You will have a clear perspective of the direction you are heading towards. You will have a better focus and not lose sight of what you truly want. Doing this at intervals is very crucial because we easily tend to lose sight of our roots now and then. This will help you to never forget where you come from and the reason for your actions. Check your quadrant Be a “first quadrant person”. On a graph-chart there four quadrants. The “+ +” first quadrant of the top left is an analogy for people who succeed and help people around them to succeed too. The “+ -” second quadrant represents people who succeed by sabotaging their colleagues. The “- +” third quadrant signifies people who don’t succeed but allow others to step on their accomplishments to succeed. The “- -” fourth quadrant represents people who don’t succeed and won’t let their colleagues succeed either. If you are going to follow the quadrant theory, do your best to be in the first quadrant. Do what you love Do your best to find what you love doing and accomplish it. If you have found your passion in life, you are the lucky one. If you haven’t, you might as well start enjoying what you already do. After all, no job is insignificant. Make friends at your work place and it will probably be like the boring math lecture that you enjoyed simply because your closest pals were around you.

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In India

1. First make an attractive CV. Work really hard on your CV as this will be basis of your entire job search. See how and use the Tips

2. Prepare a cover letter / cover Email highlighting your skills and tell the why they should hire you.

3. Create a profile on popular job sites – naukri.com, monsterindia.com, timesjobs.com, shine.com etc & start applying for jobs on these sites

4. Create / update your LinkedIn.com profile with latest info. Add your skills & Achievements

5. Scan the job section in newspapers daily & apply.

6. Subscribe to any Job newspaper like ‘Employment News’ and apply for jobs from it.

7. Register with your local government Employment office in your area.

8. Tell people who are working that you are looking for a job – friends, family members, neighbors anyone... Make a list of all of your friends, relatives, and acquaintances who are working with well-known companies. Call each one and ask them if they know of any openings that they could recommend you for.

9. Search for job consultants / agents on internet, create a list of them and send them your CV. Never go to just one agency. Always go to as many as possible. It is easy and it increases your chances a lot!

10. Move to / relocate yourself to Metros where job opportunities are more like Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Noida, Chennai etc.

11. Contact you seniors from your college through social media such as Facebook, twitter etc who are already working and ask for openings in their companies

12. Attend Job fairs and Job seminars

13. Prepare well for interviews in advance. Practice your answers for standard questions in most of the interviews such as: ‘Tell me about yourself?’; ‘What do you know about us?’; Where do you see yourself 5 years from now ?’; ‘what’s your future plans?’

14. Research the company. Become familiar with the past of the company. Who started it? Where? Who runs it now? Be inventive, and out do the other candidates.

15. When you go for the interview – dress appropriately to create the right impression

16. Prepare for a Situational interview. Be ready to answer questions such as “Describe a time you had to work with someone you didn’t like.” “Tell me about a time when you had to stick by a decision you had made, even though it made you very unpopular.

17. If you are still studying or yet to complete your course, try starting with volunteering jobs for an organization that focuses on something that you’re passionate about or part time assistance jobs. This will help you to have a good understanding of your future job as well can highlight in you CV. You should emphasize your volunteer experience on your resume, as companies that take care of their workforce well tend to favor candidates who help the public somehow.

18. Also another option is to be self-employed or an entrepreneur, in which case your mission is not to find and get a job, but to create a job.

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19. So now stop complaining about no work, get off the sofa and go knock on doors with resume in hand. If you do that all day, every day.

Source :: edufive.com

indeed.com and simplyhired.com... they aggregate all job portals and company career sites. It's way more efficient as it results get delivered in my inbox on weekly basis.

http://degreejob.com and have heard good things about it. This may help you to get answer of your question. They enable you to search jobs posted on 1,000's of websites. Employers also post jobs directly on Indeed.

Try websites such as naukri.com and monster.com

Monster.com -Best

Naukri.com- Best

Timesjobs.com- Good

Shine.com

Coolavenues.com

firstnaukri.com

clickjobs.com

clickjobs.com

wisestep.com

babajob.com

vivastreet.co.in

clickindia.com

click.in

freshersdreams.com

PlacementIndia.com

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IT Job

Decide what kind of job you want. In order to streamline the job application process, examine what your needs and desires are for employment. You can narrow down your options by taking a few things into consideration:

• Consider the career field. Whether you are transitioning from another field or are looking to make a lateral move, it is important to find work that is both challenging and rewarding for you. Knowing what you don’t want to do is just as important and knowing what you do want to do.

• Consider the skills required for a particular position. Feeling like your skills are being well utilized and acknowledged is key to feeling satisfaction at a job. Having an idea about which of your skills will be tapped, and which you will be able to develop, is key to deciding on a worthwhile job.

• Consider your salary and benefit requirements. Be honest and realistic about your bottom line. If you need health coverage and require a certain amount of income per month, it is best to hone in on jobs that fulfill those requirements

Do your research. Before you begin sending out resumes and cover letters, look into the companies you are applying for.

• Get a sense of the company’s personality and values by reading its mission statement. This information can come in handy when writing your cover letter and in an interview situation.

• Read up on new products or services the company is providing. This information is often located in the company’s “news” section. This section can also be a source of information on community activities the company is involved in.

• Review the jobs or careers section of the company website for insight into job openings. You may find more options for employment in other departments or locations.

Write a resume. Even if the job you want doesn’t require the submission of a traditional resume, having an up-to-date resume is highly recommended. Resumes not only outline your education and work history, but they can also point to specific projects you’ve worked on or awards you’ve won. Information to include on your resume should entail:

• Your current contact information, including your full name, phone number, mailing address, and email address.

• Your educational background. List the colleges you have attended (beginning with your most recent), the year you attended, and any degrees or certificates earned. You may opt to include your course of study.

• Your work history for the past few years. The unofficial rule is one resume page per ten years of experience. Be aware that large gaps in employment, or multiple jobs within a short amount of time, will be something you may be asked about in an interview. Be sure to include dates of employment, the company name, your title, and a brief description of your activities.

• Your relevant skills. This is your opportunity to list all the skills you have acquired through the

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years. Knowledge of office equipment, familiarity with computer operating systems, software programs (such as Microsoft Office Suite or Adobe Creative Suite), typing speed, database experience, and other relevant information should be included in your resume.

Contact the employer to ask about the application process. You will likely have your call routed to the hiring or human resources manager. If they have openings, they may ask you to either come in to fill out an application or that you send them your resume and cover letter by mail or e-mail. Be sure to note this contact's name, and address all future communication to this person, by name.

Write a cover letter, if necessary. Make sure it is specific to both the company and the job. If possible, address the contact letter to a specific contact person. This demonstrates that you took the time to research the information and are not simply mass-emailing every employer you can find. Consider discussing the following topics in your cover letter:

• How the company’s personality and mission align with your own values.

• How your background makes you a valuable asset to the role and to the company.

• What it is you hope to gain from working in this role.

• What unique talents would you bring to this position?

• What specifically interests you about this position?

Get a second (or third) opinion. Ask friends or family members to review your resume and cover letter for typos. They may be able to point out things that are missing, or items that could be rephrased.

• If possible, get advice from someone working in the field you are applying for. Speaking to recruiters or hiring managers may be beneficial as well, as they are familiar with the qualities and qualifications employers are looking for.

Locate references. Though you may not have to provide a list of references right away, it is wise to tap people early to ask whether they would consider being a professional reference for you.

• It is recommended that you secure at least three references. At least two of these references should be people whom you have worked with and who can speak to your job performance.

• Be sure you have your references' updated contact information, including mailing and email addresses, phone number, current title, and current company.

Apply. Once you have fine-tuned your resume and cover letter, it is time to begin the application process. Applications are typically submitted in one of three ways:

• In person. Bring a packet containing all your materials to the prospective employer's workplace. It is recommended that you ask ahead of time for the best time to deliver your materials. When you arrive, ask to speak to the hiring manager and try to hand your materials to them personally. This allows the hiring manager to put a face to the name. It is recommended that you dress professionally and present yourself well.

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• Online. Online applications vary--some may ask you to fill in fields, while others may require that you attach PDFs of your cover letter and resume. Some companies request that you email your materials to their Human Resources department. It is important to follow directions--if they ask that you send your resume in the body of the email, do not send an attachment!

• By mail. If requested, be sure to include the name of the hiring or HR manager on all of the correspondence. Ensure that you have the proper postage for the weight of your application packet.

Follow up. Checking on the status of your application shows your interest in the position and ensures that your application materials have made it to the appropriate person. Calling right away can seem demanding and off-putting. Follow these suggestions for reaching out:

• Pay attention to job "close date." Most jobs posted online will have a posted closing date. Calling the hiring manager before this date can make you seem overly eager and desperate.

• If there is no close date, a good rule of thumb is to make contact one week after application submission.

• When you do call or email the hiring or HR manager, try to make the tone of you communication friendly. Avoid demanding comments like, "I haven't been contacted yet." Instead, ask questions such as "Have any decisions been made yet?" or "Can you tell me a little more about the hiring time frame?" Asking if you might contact them again in one week if no word has been given is a polite way to be proactive

Positive Body Language

You might have been a good student back in college, but your boss might think differently about you today. Your work ethic is good – you’re consistent and creative, but your boss doesn’t share the same sentiments... and this might all be because of your body language. Body language is very integral in building or destroying your career. If you are currently completing an internship or you have a new job, employers tend to look for small details when evaluating the effectiveness of your performance, and this includes body language. Your body language forms an impression to your employers. A smile or frown translates to an opinion. The employer asks themselves if you are likeable or if you can be trusted. What the employer believes about you could be used as a yard stick to gauge your reputation. Body language can be used to determine if you are hardworking, result oriented, slack, or lazy. If you are always fidgeting, yawning or staring at the widow when you are conversing with your boss, then this gives an impression that you are always distracted and you cannot concentrate for long periods. You can effortlessly prevent these career hazards by simply putting positive body language to use. This will remove any doubt from your employer and if he or she is to judge you, let it at least not be through body language because in most cases it is not always a true reflection of your personality. You should always be enthusiastic and positive, which creates the feeling that you are charismatic. This demonstrates to the employers that you are hardworking and reliable, and this gives them a good impression about you.

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Don’t forget to smile! A smile is always welcoming, and it shows people your warmth and that you are friendly. Even if your boss frowns at you, you just smile back. Portray a professional image that you approachable and welcoming Remember the importance of eye contact Making eye contact gives the impression that you are concentrating on what you are being told and you are more likely to execute the instructions with acute precision. Poor eye contact demonstrates a lack of confidence, immaturity and can be considered a demonstration of low self-esteem. Listen and be interested finally, you should have a genuine interest on what you are being told. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to help improve your knowledge and understanding. Avoid the career pitfall associated with negative body language. Negativity can easily be spotted around the office and will be remembered by management when the time comes for salary increases, promotions and recognition.

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Social Media

Facebook and Twitter chats are underused job hunting tools: there are lots of local groups sharing job opportunities on Facebook if you search by job type and location. Also don't forget Twitter chats. These are regular, often weekly online conversations built around a theme, a set of questions and field of work. Here's an anecdote I'll share. A graduate was applying for a job with a company and engaged consistently with their Twitter feed during the application process. He got selected for interview and they told him they had warmed to him as a result of his engagement beforehand. He still had to perform at interview but he got the job.

Stick to creating profiles on popular social networks: for the moment you're better spending your time on the established networks for networking and recruitment purposes. The bulk of potential contacts will be there and are comfortable using it. Meanwhile, I'd recommend keeping an eye on new sites – such as Work Profile and– but don't spend a massive amount of time there searching for a job until they're more established.

Clean up your online profile: first, if you are planning to use your current personal social media account for the purposes of your job search, I'd advise clearing up any digital dirt. Any photos you'd rather not be judged on, any comments or interactions that could potentially reflect badly on you etc. If you are using a separate social media profile for this purpose, then make sure your privacy settings on your personal accounts are set accordingly. Also complete your social media bios so that they give any visiting recruiter a clear idea of your skills, experience and ambitions.

Should two types of jobs go on one online profile?It largely depends on whether your freelancing is closely related to your job in terms of skills and experiences, if so, I would definitely keep them all in one profile. And even if not related, then I would suggest having both in one profile as having different interests will make you come across as an interesting and rounded person.

Use LinkedIn to highlight achievements outside the workplace: such as awards, voluntary activity and personal activity that might be relevant such as captaining sports teams. You can re-order sections so that this goes near the top. In particular, the personal description should be carefully thought through - this is your window to show people how you think about yourself.

Keep an eye on relevant jobs through targeted Twitter feeds: jobs sites and some corporate companies have career Twitter pages. You can raise your profile by following (and messaging) relevant hiring individuals as well as ensuring your LinkedIn profile is up to date and filled with great info so that you are at maximum visibility.

Remember employers will look at your social sites:it is very possible that they will look at Twitter and Facebook to see what you post and about you. You don't need to get rid of your photos. You need to make sure, however, that your photos are not inflammatory in any way. Your photos should not be embarrassing or compromising. We all have a personal life; this is a window into who we are. You just need to be cautious about what you post and make sure it is clean.

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Be polite when approaching recruiters online: As well as being pro-active there is protocol and social niceties to observe. I have seen people on Twitter rather aggressively approach recruiters and when you see their timeline it's like a constant barrage of the same question sent to multiple people. The interview and potential recruitment starts the moment you follow a recruiter on Twitter, so make sure your profile, timeline and any subsequent tweet to them is professional, courteous and plain nice. Say thanks afterwards as well.

Source: http://goo.gl/0IsAqZ

Networking

Conventions or Exhibitions: Major conventions/exhibitions are fantastic places to network and meet new people. Keep track of the people you contact and make sure you have a pen and paper so you can write down their contact details. Most importantly follow up with these people within a couple of days following the convention. The longer you leave it the more likely they are to forget who you are. Job Fairs: Similar to conventions/exhibitions. This is a no-brainer. Going to a job fair is a good way to meet people who are currently hiring, submit your resume, and also learn about what specific companies are looking for in an employee.

Friends, Classmates and Alumni: Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends, classmates or alumni to help with your networking. You just never know who can help or most importantly who has contacts that may be able to help you. Community and Volunteer Work: Make a difference in the world and network at the same time! Community service is always looked upon favorably by companies but also will give you an opportunity to network with different members of the community. Networking Meetings: Search for networking meetings in your community. Networking meetings often require a small fee (for non-members). However this will enable you to meet a whole range of people from different backgrounds and occupations. Many times all you require is a small lead to kick start your career and networking events can be the perfect place to make this happen.

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Software Engineer

1: High School Preparation

1. Love programming. If you're in high school, and you haven't yet explored programming, do so. If you're not interested in math or science to begin with, you should probably explore other options.

• You must know at least the basics: C++, C# or Java, javascript/Html/Css. 2. Get all the math you can in high school like algebra, calculus, and geometry, it might be worth it if you try trigonometry and graphing. Try to advance to college level math before leaving high school, you'll need a ton of math to complete any Computer Science program and Engineering program.

2: College Curriculum

1. Plan on getting a degree. With all the success stories of college drop outs becoming billionaire CEOs in the 90's, there is a certain lure that "as long as I think outside the box and have outstanding problem solving and programming skills I don't need a four year degree". It's difficult for entry level software engineers to obtain a position without a four year degree, and an internship without being enrolled in a college curriculum at all.

2. Qualify your degree by what you want to do. If your love is game design and you wish to enter that industry as a game programmer, you'll need a Computer Science degree. If you want to work for IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Google, etc., then a Computer Science degree may be good for you. If you're looking to work for a non-technical corporation building mostly business applications, consider a degree in Management Information Systems or one of the many business technical degrees now offered. This type of degree is best for most, because it provides management and general business skills and doesn't focus on a lot of information that will not be useful to most.

3: Extra College Curriculum

1. Supplement your classwork with personal research. Search job boards and note what technologies are hot and buzzing. The colleges simply can't keep up with everything, so you'll need to buy additional technical books and teach yourself.

2. Unless you're planning to get your foot in the door through an intern position, try to find side projects while in school. No one wants to take a risk and hire someone fresh out of school without projects under their belt. Internships are great at taking care of this problem, but unfortunately a lot of students can't land an internship or do so only to discover they would prefer to work elsewhere. The only way to give yourself options is to find some non-classroom work to put on your resume.

3. Develop contacts with software engineers. If possible try to connect with software developers and work on some projects under their guidance.

4: The Difference between Engineer & Programmer

1. Understand that software engineering is not the same as programming. Every software engineer knows how to program, but not every programmer is a software engineer. Here's the principal difference between the two:

• Software engineering is typically a group effort, with differing and often fluid roles and

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responsibilities for the group members. • Engineers develop software to meet specifications set by their respective companies

designed for their client, and generally must adhere to specific standards and practices. • Engineering projects have timelines, release dates, and considerable interaction between

people responsible for various components. 5: Extra Activities

1. Always do some extra activities apart from studies and related to any software that has some real time solution of any problem. Whenever you have free time spend it searching on the internet about new technologies in the market and also watch for the technologies that will be useful in the future.

2. After studying about all the fields related to Computer Science, choose a particular direction in Software Industry. Narrowing your choice down will help considerably in planning your career. Always think simple because the Software Industry itself is very complex.

3. Learn about the field. The major difference between programmer and engineer is simply that engineers design tools; hence those are used by programmers to build solutions.

Development Job

1: Software Development Resume

1. Place a list of skills at the top of your resume. Employers can then review your skills to verify that you have experience to perform the required tasks in a specific development job.

2. Focus on unique details about projects within your work experience. Most software developers write a list previous projects on their resume; however, employers are looking for unique facts or situations about each project you have worked on.

3. Document details about your previous, short-term development jobs. Although many software developers perform consulting or contract work, some employers may still question why you have only worked on specific projects for small periods of time.

4. Include a section for hobbies relevant to software developing. If you enjoy programming or working on other projects relevant to software developing in your spare time, include them on your resume to let employers know that you legitimately enjoy programming.

2: Skills and Certifications

1. Continue with your education in software development. Employers may consider you extremely valuable if you are certified or skilled in more than one programming language.

2. Work on various software development projects. Although you may not be officially employed, working on projects will help keep your resume updated and current.

3. Develop websites. If a friend, family member, or acquaintance has a small business or hobby, you can offer to develop a website for them, which in turn will provide you with additional development experience. You may also want to develop a website based on your own hobby that you can work on indefinitely. For example, if you enjoy playing fantasy football, create an entire website or interface that allows users to engage in fantasy football.

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3: Job Seeking

1. Look for software development jobs on technology job websites. Specific websites exist that focus solely on jobs in the Information Technology field.

2. Look for local software development jobs on classified ad websites. Local classified ads will usually feature available jobs or projects that require the attention of a local software developer.

3. Seek available software development jobs on company websites. If you want to work for a specific company, you may have the ability to submit your application directly to that company. For example, if you want to work as a software developer for Microsoft, you can visit the Microsoft company website to view available job postings.

4. Look for software development positions on major job database websites. Many job websites such as Indeed or Simply Hired will allow you to look specifically for jobs in the software development category.

Five Myths

1: The smartest person always gets the job Definitely not true – companies these days are more interested in the complete worker. Having brains is always an advantage, but it’s not the only thing that hiring managers are looking for. In today’s economy, an employer wants to know that, if required, you are able to complete a wide range of jobs. Having transferrable skills, a can do attitude and a willingness to learn and be involved in all aspects of the business is key to nailing the job interview. 2: Direct experience is most important Transferable skills are key. In certain industries the job specification may require direct experience, but in many circumstances being able to show that you have the skills to succeed is just as important. Do not get discouraged if you feel that you lack the right skills to get a new job. Concentrate on the value added skills that you have and highlight these skills on your resume and in the job interview. 3: Dating a co-worker will lead to career doom An urban myth. I have even heard of stories where dating the boss has resulted in career success (not recommended!). Always remember to perform your role to the highest quality and it does not matter who you decide to date! (Note – public displays of affection are a big no no! – this type of behaviour is best saved for non-work hours). 4: Applying for jobs online is the only way to find a new job Job searching online is one of many different approaches you should take. Before you even begin to apply for jobs, ensure that you have a professionally written resume. No matter how

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many jobs you apply for, it doesn’t matter if your resume is not selling your skills. With the growth of social networking online, sites such as LinkedIn can be a fantastic way to approach people who you typically could not just pick up the phone and call. 5: Writing a cover letter is a waste of time Every time you apply for a job you should accompany your resume with a targeted cover letter. The only exception is when the job specification clearly states not to send a cover letter. Most times a hiring manager will read your cover letter before opening your resume. If your cover letter does not shine, there is a good chance your resume won’t even be opened. You may have the greatest resume written by a professional resume writer, but it means nothing if your cover letter is letting you down.

Don’ts

• Generic resume • Resumes that do not inspire • Clichéd resume • Your resume does not use key words • Your resume is formatted incorrectly • Your resume is not targeted • You don’t use a cover letter • Your cover letter is boring/generic/clichéd • Your resume and cover letter are too embellished • Your job search is restricted to the Internet/Google/Yahoo • You are only seeking out the perfect job (Is there such a thing?) • Spelling mistakes / bad grammar • Lack of professionalism • No follow up • Unqualified / Overqualified (you need to be realistic)

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Resume

Do's & Don’ts

Resume Recommendations

Tailor your choice of content so that it’s highly relevant to the type of job you are applying to

Use bullet points and try to keep each point to one line where possible

Each bullet point should be succinctly written and get the point across clearly

Where possible try to quantify achievements with percentages %, numbers # , and dollar $ terms

Use key words that you know are relevant to the positions you are applying for

Under each heading put your most powerful examples first – never save the best until last

Avoid using informal language / slang

Avoid industry specific acronyms and abbreviations (some recruiters hiring or short listing on behalf of their client, may not be experts in the field for which recruiting, therefore could miss valuable skills or expertise relevant to the job)

Use the correct tense when describing past and present accomplishments

Proofread for: readability, conciseness, spelling and grammar. It is prudent to ask somebody to proof read your resume in case you missed something.

Avoid where possible

Including content that is irrelevant to the positions you are applying for as it dilutes your highly relevant points - less is more!

Saving your best credentials for last, remember the initial screening can be as quick as 20 seconds (for this reason we highly recommend including a “summary of qualifications” section at the very beginning of your resume.

Using personal pronouns such (my, me, I)

Including scanned copies of qualifications or certificates with your application (unless specifically requested)

Including a photo, unless specifically requested (research indicates including a photo can be detrimental to your application).

Printing your resume on textured or color paper (neither scans well)

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What to Include

Include the following sections: contact information, objective, professional / work experience, education, computer skills and language skills.

Contact Information (required)

Include your full name, permanent and local addresses, phone (include area code), email address, and web page (if applicable).

Objective (encouraged)

Write a brief statement summarizing the career field you are interested in and the nature of the position you are seeking.

Examples of Resume Objective - GRAPHIC DESIGNER

To obtain a position in the advertising industry as a Senior Graphic Designer

Seeking a position as a Senior Graphic Designer with management responsibilities in the advertising industry

Examples of Resume Objectives – ENGINEER

Seeking an engineering position with emphasis on new product development within the IT industry

To obtain an Engineering position as Innovation Manager within the Machinery Manufacturing Industry

Professional Experience / Work Experience (required)

Refer to Chronological, Functional or Combination to determine which style of resume is best suited to your needs.

All resumes should include:[USA]

Examples of achievements (where possible, quantify achievements as $ or %) ie. grew international sales by 123%, responsible for sales budget of $300,000, designed and executed marketing budget of $15,000 resulting in ROI of $1,100,000

Include examples of experiences (where possible match these to the experiences sought by the employer) ie. job description reads “applicant must have experience in Tradeshows” a possible bullet point could be: Tradeshows: extensive experience in tradeshow co-ordination including; stand design & setup, promotional marketing, customer lead generation and follow-ups.

Include skills relevant to the job: examples include; communication, leadership, project planning, financial planning etc. For each give an example to prove your competency in this skill.

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Education (required)

Summarize your educational achievements (colleges attended, locations, graduation dates, certificates, academic majors, minors, and course concentrations).

Start with most recent degree awarded and work backward in time.

Unless you are a recent graduate (ie with 3 years or less work experience) you do not need to list high school

Unless it is relevant in some way, or if school is particularly well regarded.

GPA is optional. Include it if you feel it will enhance your resume.

If a recent graduate, you may wish to include relevant coursework or training workshops attended (ie ‘laboratory techniques’ / ‘quantitative research methods’) if this improves your credibility.

Computer Skills (required for office jobs, otherwise optional)

List the programs you are familiar with ie. Outlook, Internet Explorer, Excel, Word, Publisher, Adobe Photoshop, Accounting Software (name the specific software).

Language Skills (optional)

If you speak more than one language then you should consider including language skills. Make certain you accurately represent your skill level for both written and verbal (ie. Spanish: Written 6/10, Verbal 8/10).

Member Associations (optional)

If you belong to organizations that are relative to the industry or job you are applying for you may choose to include these in your resume. The general rule is, include this section if you feel it will strengthen your application.

References (optional)

This is entirely optional. If you choose to include references, make sure they are aware that they may be contacted by a recruitment agent and inform them as to the type of job you are applying for. It is good practice to send a copy of your resume to your reference to remind them of the activities you performed and responsibilities you had whilst working for them. This is strongly advised in the time since employment with your reference is 1 year or more in the past.

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Review

Strategic Key Words: A great way to pimp your resume and ensure that it stands out and gets noticed by software programs is to use strategic keywords throughout your resume. Recruiters or hiring managers will often skim over resumes and look for keywords or they may use software programs to find keywords. These can be changed depending on the job you are applying for. Remove all unnecessary information: The best looking resume contains only relevant information that adds value to your job application. If your existing resume has the title “curriculum vitae” or “Professional CV”, remove this immediately. It goes without saying that if you are applying for a job, your application is obviously your curriculum vitae – there is no need to include this irrelevant information. Take a read through your resume and ensure that only value added information is included. Achievements and Recognition: An achievements and recognition area on your resume can really make your application stand out over the competition. Rather than boring the reader with all the daily duties you perform, inspire the reader with achievement statements that show off all the wonderful skills and achievements you have performed. Remember, the best way to present your achievements is to back them up with examples. Qualitative examples are even better! Friendly Font: When you sit down to read a book, do you ever stop to think about the font? Of course you don’t because typically all books are written with an easy to read font. Could you imagine reading through a novel that used hard to read fonts? You would put the book down before you completed the first chapter! The same goes for your professional resume. Use an easy to read, modern font (I like the font “Calibri”) and make it as easy as possible for the reader. Modernise : Give your resume a new modern look. Do not use old and out-dated resume templates that are floating around the internet. Although these templates may be free, they are a free for a reason! When you open up your resume ask yourself the question - “If I were a hiring manager, would I be impressed with this resume?” If the answer is no, then it’s time for a change and a makeover is needed.

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Interview

Skills - Initial Preparation

• What is your current experience of interviews? Feedback that you have received about your performance at interviews and your own personal reflections. • Reflecting on these experiences: what contributed to this experience? How did you prepare, were you last minute.com? How confident were you? Did you research the company sufficiently? The job specification – did you match the criteria? • Evaluating the experience: Deepening your awareness and reflections on your previous experiences. Bringing in additional information such as personal style, any information that can help you make sense of the situation. • Plan for next time: from focusing on your previous experience and what you have learned from working through this learning cycle, you will have started to formulate an action plan of how to approach your next interview.

1. Choosing the right language: that create a positive mantra about being well prepared, are answering the questions with ease and have practiced out loud so have heard yourself answering questions.

2. Your physical preparation: what you are wearing, that you are well hydrated & energized, that your body language is open and are relaxed, confident and smiling at interviewing panel.

3. That you have the right focus: thorough preparation into company that are applying to work with, knowledge of the job from the job description and job specification, applying your experience and skills to match what they are looking for.

State and achieving interview success

Physiology

Open body language; smiling at the panel.

Wear what look, feels comfortable and you will feel confident wearing.

Being relaxed.

Being energized.

Language

Positive self-talk, having practicing answers.

Adapt what you are saying to their language and their job specification.

Focus

Knowledge of the role, organization, your skills & experience.

Positive mental rehearsal – seeing yourself succeeding and answering the questions well.

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Skills - Competency Based

A competency is a behavior specially Role requirement. Majority of companies will break down each vacancy into a number of core competencies and the interview panel will ask

questions that require the candidates to show evidence of demonstrating them.

Some of the most popular competencies are:

• People management • Communication skills • Team working skills

• Leadership skills • Customer care skills

• Problem solving

First 90 seconds of the interview are crucial, so practice introducing yourself positively, using open body language, smiling and giving the whole panel eye contact.

Tell me About Yourself

Most Important

1. Positive mental rehearsal 2. Don't try to mug up 3. Don't be an Imposter 4. Don't Bluff

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Questions

Top 10

1. What is your greatest strength? 2. What is your greatest weakness? 3. How do you handle stress and pressure? 4. Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it 5. How do you evaluate success? 6. Why are you leaving or have left your job? 7. Why do you want this job? 8. Why should we hire you? 9. What are your goals for the future? 10. Tell me about yourself.

Information Technology (IT)

You and Your Technical Skills 1. What interests you about this position? 2. What are your technical certifications? 3. What do you do to maintain your technical certifications? 4. What automated-build tools or processes have you used? 5. What development tools have you used? 6. What languages have you programmed in? 7. What source control tools have you used? 8. What technical websites do you follow? 9. Describe a time when you were able to improve upon the design that was originally suggested. 10. Describe the most innovative change that you have initiated and what you did to implement this change. 11. Given this problem (problem is based upon job requirements), what solution would you provide. Explain your thought process. 12. How do you handle multiple deadlines?

13. How do you keep current on this industry? 14. How do you troubleshoot IT issues? 15. Tell me about the most recent project you worked on. What were your responsibilities? 16. Tell me about the project you are most proud of, and what your contribution was. 17. Give an example of where you have applied your technical knowledge in a practical way. 18. What is the biggest IT challenge you have faced and how did you handle it? 19. You are working at a client site and the CTO of the client company has asked if she can see you. The CTO wants to know how much it would cost to bring in five more people on your team. She gives you very vague requirements of the job she is looking for you to do. What would you do? 20. You have been asked to research a new business tool. You have come across two solutions. One is an on-premises solution, the other is cloud-based. Assuming they are functionally equivalent, why would you recommend one over the other?

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21. You have submitted a piece of code that has broken the client's website in production. You have found this bug while you were testing, and nobody else knows about it. What is your next move? 22. You have learned that a business unit is managing a major component of the business using Excel spreadsheets and Access databases. What risks does this present, and what would you recommend be done to mitigate those risks? Job and the Company 1. Describe the skills you have that qualify you for this job. 2. Do you prefer to manage people or ideas? 3. Describe your production deployment process. 4. From the description of this position what do you think you will be doing on a day-to-day basis? 5. Have you worked with software vendors? How do you handle vendor relations? 6. How important is it to work directly with your business users? 7. How would you rate your key competencies for this job? 8. If hired, is there anything you would change about this IT team? 9. What challenges do you think you might expect in this job if you were hired? 10. What companies do you see as the biggest competitors to this company?

Ask the Employer

1. How would you describe the responsibilities of the position? 2. How would you describe a typical week/day in this position? 3. Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to do? 4. What is the company's management style? 5. Who does this position report to? If I am offered the position, can I meet him/her? 6. How many people work in this office/department? 7. How much travel is expected? 8. Is relocation a possibility? 9. What is the typical work week? Is overtime expected? 10. What are the prospects for growth and advancement? 11. How does one advance in the company? 12. Are there any examples? 13. What do you like about working here? 14. What don't you like about working here and what would you change? 15. Would you like a list of references? 16. If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start? 17. What can I tell you about my qualifications? 18. When can I expect to hear from you? 19. Are there any other questions I can answer for you? 20. Do you have any reservations about my qualifications?

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NOT to Ask

1. What does this company do? (Do your research ahead of time!) 2. If I get the job when can I take time off for vacation? (Wait until you get the offer to mention prior commitments) 3. Can I change my schedule if I get the job? (If you need to figure out the logistics of getting to work don't mention it now...) 4. Did I get the job? (Don't be impatient. They'll let you know.)

Top 10 Behavioral

1. Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure. 2. How do you handle a challenge? Give an example. 3. Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it? 4. Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it. 5. Describe a decision you made that wasn't popular and how you handled implementing it. 6. Give an example of how you set goals and achieve them. 7. Give an example of how you worked on team. 8. What do you do if you disagree with someone at work? 9. Share an example of how you were able to motivate employees or co-workers. 10. Have you handled a difficult situation? How?

Difficult

Co-Workers and Supervisors

1. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a co-worker who wasn't doing his/her fair share of the work. What did you do and what was the outcome? 2. Give me an example of a time when you took the time to share a co-worker's or supervisor's achievements with others? 3. Tell me about a time that you didn't work well with a supervisor. What was the outcome and how would you have changed the outcome? 4. Have you worked with someone you didn't like? If so, how did you handle it? 5. Tell me about a time that you helped someone. 6. Tell me about a time that you misjudged a person. 7. How do you get along with older (younger) co-workers?

Your Abilities

1. Describe a decision you made that was a failure. What happened and why? 2. Tell me about a time that you worked conveying technical information to a nontechnical audience. 3. Tell me about a time that you worked with data, interpreting data, and presenting data. 4. Why do you think you will be successful at this job?

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5. Tell me about a time that you participated in a team, what was your role? 6. Tell me about a time when you were faced with conflicting priorities. How did you determine the top priority? 7. Tell me about a time when you failed.

You

1. What would you do differently if you could start your working life over? 2. How do you balance life and work? 3. What is your preferred way to communication - instant message, phone, or email? 4. Do you check voicemail and email when on vacation? 5. What is your favorite book? How about your favorite movie? 6. What historical figure do you admire and why? 7. If you could choose anyone (alive or deceased) to have lunch with, who would it be? 8. If you could be any animal on a carousel what would you pick and why? 9. What did you do during this six month gap in employment? 10. What do you love? 11. What led you to this point in your life? 12. Do you consider yourself successful? 13. What inspires you in a job? 14. What excites you most about the position and what do you think would be stretch for you? 15. Who are the influencers in your life?

Your Career Goals

1. Start with your graduation from college and explanation the rationale behind each of your career moves. 2. Also explain the thinking process that went into making each if those decisions. 3. How many hours a day/week do you need to work to get the job done? 4. If you stayed with your current company, what would be your next move? 5. How do you measure success? 6. Describe your dream job. 7. Describe a job that would be your worst nightmare. 8. If you were the CEO of this company what would be the top two things that you would do?

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More Difficult (and Some Strange) Questions 1. Are you a risk taker? 2. Are your parents married? 3. If you could meet with an historical figure, who would it be and why? 4. If you were an animal what would you be? 5. If you were a fruit what would you be? 6. it’s your dime. 7. Convince me to hire you. 8. How do you feel spiritually about divorce? 9. We unplugged that clock on the wall. Why did we do that? 10. Which do you think you are the most like, and why... a chameleon, a wolf, or an owl? 11. Why shouldn't I hire you? 12. What does your current employer think you are doing today? 13. What is your favorite amusement park ride? 14. What is your favorite game? 15. What was the most recent book you have read? 16. What would you bring to a pot luck lunch? 17. Who is your favorite singer?

Technical

1. Compare and contrast REST and SOAP web services. 2. Define authentication and authorization and the tools that are used to support them in enterprise deployments. 3. Describe the difference between optimistic and pessimistic locking. 4. Describe the elements of an in tier architecture and their appropriate use. 5. Have you used Eclipse? 6. Have you used Visual Studio? 7. How did you manage source control? 8. How much (what percentage) of your time do you spend unit testing? 9. How much reuse do you get out of the code that you develop, and how? 10. How would you describe the ideal working environment? 11. If you know you aren't going to make a project deadline what will you tell your manager and/or the client? 12. In databases, what is the difference between a delete statement and a truncate statement? 13. In network security, what is a honey pot, and why is it used? 14. What are the most important database performance metrics, and how do you monitor them? 15. What are transaction logs, and how are they used? 16. What did you do to ensure quality in your deliverables? 17. What do you consider documentation and why is it important? 18. What do you do to ensure you provide accurate project estimates? 19. What do you expect in the solution documents you are provided? 20. What elements are necessary for a successful team and why?

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21. What have you done to ensure consistency across unit, quality, and production environments? 22. What is a cross site scripting attack, and how do you defend against it? 23. What is a SAN, and how is it used? 24. What is clustering, and describe its use. 25. What is ETL and when should it be used? 26. What is most important - quality or quantity? 27. What is structure? 28. What is the difference between OLAP and OLTP? When is each used? 29. What is the role of continuous integration systems in the automated-build process? 30. What is the role of SMNP? 31. What is the role of the DMZ in network architecture? How do you enforce relational integrity in database design? 32. When is it appropriate to de-normalize database design? 33. When is the last time you downloaded a utility from the internet to make your work more productive, and what was it? 34. Which do you prefer; service oriented or batch oriented solutions?

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Email Communication

1. Beware of hidden readers

2. Write as if Mom or the boss is going read it

3. Remain gender neutral

4. Keep harassment and discrimination policies in mind

5. Don't use email to let off steam

6. Control the urge to “flame”

7. Respect other people's time

8. Never reply to spam

9. Do not email the world

10. Copy with care; reply to all with care

11. Don't oversell your message

12. Ask permission before forwarding

13. Be cautious in sending attachments

14. Always use a salutation and signature

15. Beware of the exclamation point

16. Resist the urge to capitalize – Also applies to all lower case letters

17. Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation

18. Think before requesting a receipt

19. Keep editorial comments to yourself

20. Treat others as you would have them treat you

21. Consider e-mail's limitations

22. Always use a descriptive subject line

Etiquettes Part-1

Sending Emails

Make sure your e-mail includes a courteous greeting and closing. Helps to make your e-mail not seem demanding or terse.

Address your contact with the appropriate level of formality and make sure you spelled their name correctly.

Spell check - emails with typos are simply not taken as seriously.

Read your email out loud to ensure the tone is that which you desire. Try to avoid relying on formatting for emphasis; rather choose the words that reflect your meaning instead. A few additions of

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the words "please" and "thank you" go a long way!

Be sure you are including all relevant details or information necessary to understand your request or point of view. Generalities can many times cause confusion and unnecessary back and forths.

Are you using proper sentence structure? First word capitalized with appropriate punctuation? Multiple instances of !!! or ??? are perceived as rude or condescending.

If your email is emotionally charged, walk away from the computer and wait to reply. Review the Sender's email again so that you are sure you are not reading anything into the email that simply isn't there.

If sending attachments, did you ask first when would be the best time to send? Did you check file size to make sure you don't fill the other side's inbox causing all subsequent e-mail to bounce?

Refrain from using the Reply to All feature to give your opinion to those who may not be interested. In most cases replying to the Sender alone is your best course of action.

Make one last check that the address or addresses in the To: field are those you wish to send your reply to.

Be sure your name is reflected properly in the From: field. Jane A. Doe (not jane, jane doe or JANE DOE).

Type in complete sentences. To type random phrases or cryptic thoughts does not lend to clear communication.

Never assume the intent of an email. If you are not sure -- ask so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

Just because someone doesn't ask for a response doesn't mean you ignore them. Always acknowledge emails from those you know in a timely manner.

Be sure the Subject: field accurately reflects the content of your email.

Don't hesitate to say thank you, how are you, or appreciate your help!

Keep emails brief and to the point. Save long conversations for the old fashioned telephone.

Always end your emails with "Thank you," "Sincerely," "Take it easy," "Best regards" - something!

Formatting Emails

Do not type in all caps. That's yelling or reflects shouting emphasis.

If you bold your type, know you are bolding your statement and it will be taken that way by the other side - X10!

Do not use patterned backgrounds. Makes your email harder to read.

Stay away from fancy-schmancy fonts -- only the standard fonts are on all computers.

Use emoticons sparingly to ensure your tone and intent are clear.

Typing your emails in all small case gives the perception of lack of education or laziness.

Refrain from using multiple font colors in one email. It makes your email harder to view and can add to your intent being misinterpreted.

Use formatting sparingly. Instead try to rely on choosing the most accurate words possible to reflect

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your tone and avoid misunderstandings in the process.

Email Attachments

When sending large attachments, always "zip" or compress them before sending.

Never send large attachments without notice! Always ask what would be the best time to send them first.

Learn how to resample or resize graphics to about 600 pixels in width before attaching them to an email. This will greatly reduce download time.

Never open an attachment from someone you don't know.

Be sure your virus, adware and spyware programs are up to date and include scanning of your emails and attachments both incoming and outgoing.

It is better to spread multiple attachments over several emails rather than attaching them all to one email to avoid clogging the pipeline.

Make sure the other side has the same software as you before sending attachments or they may not be able to open your attachment. Use PDF when possible.

To, From, CC, BCc, RR, Subject:

Only use Cc: when it is important for those you Cc: to know about the contents of the email. Overuse can cause your emails to be ignored.

Don't use Return Receipt (RR) on every single email. Doing so is viewed as intrusive, annoying and can be declined by the other side anyway.

Include addresses in the To: field for those who you would like a response from.

Include addresses in the Cc: field for those who you are just FYI'ing.

Make sure your name is displayed properly in the From: field.

Remove addresses from the To:, CC; and BCc: field that don't need to see your reply.

Always include a brief Subject. No subject can get your email flagged as spam.

Think about your motives when adding addresses to To:, CC:, BCc. Use your discretion.

Never expose your friend's or contact's email address to strangers by listing them all in the To: field. Use BCc:!

Make sure when using BCc: that your intentions are proper. To send BCc: copies to others as a way of talking behind someone's back is inconsiderate.

Email Forwarding

Don't forward emails that say to do so--no matter how noble the cause may be. Most are hoaxes or hooey and may not be appreciated by those you send to.

If someone asks you to refrain from forwarding emails they have that right and you shouldn't get mad or take it personally.

When forwarding email, if you cannot take the time to type a personal comment to the person you are forwarding to--then don't bother.

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Don't forward anything without editing out all the forwarding , other email addresses, headers and commentary from all the other forwarders.

If you must forward to more than one person, put your email address in the TO: field and all the others you are sending to in the BCc: field to protect their email address from being published to those they do not know. This is a serious privacy issue!

Be careful when forwarding email on political or controversial issues. The recipient may not appreciate your POV.

Email and Perception, Privacy, Copyright

Choose your email address wisely. It will determine, in part, how you are perceived.

Try not to make assumptions when it comes to email. Always ask for clarification before you react.

Posting or forwarding of private email is copyright infringement -- not to mention downright rude. You need permission from the author first!

Even though it isn't right; emails are forwarded to others. Keep this in mind when typing about emotional or controversial topics.

When there is a misunderstanding by email, don't hesitate to pick up the old fashioned telephone to work things out!

Know that how you type, and the efforts you make or don't make will indicate what is important to you and if you are an educated courteous person.

If you forward an email that turns out to be a hoax, have the maturity to send an apology follow up email to those you sent the misinformation to.

When filling out a contact form on a Web site, do so carefully and with clarity so your request is taken seriously.

If a friend puts your e-mail address in the To: field with others you do not know, ask them to no longer expose your address to strangers without your permission.

Business Email

Think of your business email as though it was on your business letterhead and you'll never go wrong!

If you cannot respond to an email promptly, at the very least email back confirming your receipt and when the sender can expect your response.

Emailing site owners about your product or service through the site form is still spam. Ask them if they want more info first!

When replying to emails always respond promptly and edit out unnecessary information from the post you are responding to.

Formality is in place as a courtesy and reflects respect. Assume the highest level of formality with new email contacts until the relationship dictates otherwise. Refrain from getting too informal too soon in your email communications.

Never send anyone an email they need to unsubscribe from when they didn't subscribe in the first place!

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Be very careful how you use Reply to All and Cc: in a business environment. Doing so for CYA or to subtlety tattle can backfire and have your viewed as petty or insecure.

When replying to an email with multiple recipients noted in the To: or Cc: fields, remove the addresses of those who your reply does not apply to.

Never send business attachments outside of business hours and confirm that the format in which you can send can be opened by the other side.

Chat, IM, Texting

When Texting or participating in IM and Chat, try not to be overly cryptic or your meaning can be misread.

Use Instant Messaging (IM) for casual topics or informational briefs. IM is not the place for serious topics or confrontational issues.

Start by always asking if the person you are IMing is available and if it is a good time to chat. Refrain from IMing during meetings or when your attention is required.

Practice communicating briefly and succinctly.

Always consider if calling the other party on the phone is better when Texting about sensitive topics.

IMing is not an excuse to forget your grade school education.

If you are not a smooth multi-tasker, do not continue multiple IM sessions and leave folks hanging while you communicate with others.

Learn how to use the features of your IM program. Specifically your "busy" and "away" message features.

Never IM under an alias to take a peek at friends' or associates' activities.

Take into consideration who you are communicating with to determine the acronyms and emoticons that should be used - if at all.

Social Media, Blogs and Forums

Keep in mind when Tweeting, on Facebook or message boards that you are in a global arena.

When discussions get out of control; don't stoop to name-calling or profanities. You are better than that!

In forums, keep your signature file to no more than 2-3 lines.

Keep commercialism to no more than a link at the end of your comment or contribution.

Stay on topic and discuss issues only relative to the thread/topic in question.

If new to a group or forum, "lurk" for a while to get a feel for the community and personalities of the regulars before you post.

Never give out personal information or specifics to your location on online -- nor should you give out the personal information of others!

Keep in mind there will always be differences of opinion. Try to remain objective and not personalize issues.

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Don't fall for trolls. Trolls are folks who will post rude comments just to get a rise out of everyone.

Be sure to down edit, or remove any part of the post you are replying to that is no longer necessary to the ongoing conversation.

Email Considerations...

Before getting upset because you perceive someone didn't respond, check to see if their reply was inadvertently deleted or sent to your Trash or Junk folder.

With emotionally charged emails, wait until the next morning to see if you feel the same before clicking Send.

Feel free to modify the Subject: field to more accurately reflect a conversation's direction.

When it comes to your email communications, know who you can trust; trust only those you know.

Take the time to review each email before clicking Send to ensure your message is clear and you are relaying the tone that you desire.

Never use an old email to hit reply and start typing about an entirely new topic.

Regardless of how noble a forwarded email may be, don't just forward without investigating its authenticity

Always add the email addresses of Web sites and new contacts immediately to your approved senders or address book so they get through Spam filters.

Before completing a Web site's Contact form; make an effort to review the site to be sure the information you seek is not already available.

Take a quick look at the e-mails in your Trash before you delete them just in case a good e-mail landed there by mistake.

Don't mass e-mail people who didn't ask to be on your personal "mailing list".

Double check that your adware, spyware and virus programs are set to automatically update at least once each week so the software knows what to protect you from.

Etiquettes Part-2

1. Take another Look Before You Send a Message

How to avoid embarrassing emails and not send anything you do not want sent.

2. Do Not Default to "Reply All"

"Reply" is good. "Reply to All" is better. Right?

3. Keep Emails Short

Do not intimidate recipients with too much text.

4. Properly Format Your Email Replies, and Be Lazy

Do you think quoting original text in your email replies perfectly is a lot of work? Don't let the '>'

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intimidate you! Here's a very comfortable, relaxed, quick and still clean and compatible way to reply properly.

5. Write Perfect Subject Lines

Do you make these mistakes in your email subjects? (The key to getting your messages read is not to be clever.)

6. Clean Up Emails Before Forwarding Them

Forwarding emails is a great way of sharing ideas, but make sure the original idea is not hidden in obfuscation.

7. When in Doubt, Send Plain Text Email, Not Rich HTML

Not everybody can receive your fancily formatted emails. Some may even react furiously. To be safe rather than sorry, send plain text emails only when in doubt.

8. Don't Forward Hoaxes

Email hoaxes often contain stories that are intriguing, and sure to irritate. Here's how to spot and stop urban legends.

9. Use Antivirus Software, Keep Up to Date

Make sure you're not spreading worms and viruses via email or act as a vehicle for spreading spam. All this can be caused by malicious emails. Fortunately, there's protection.

10. Explain Why You Think What You Forward Will Interest the Recipient

More and better communication makes better relationships. Here's a way to spot and share relevant information and foster ties by forwarding emails and links

11. Do Let People Know Their Mail Has Been Received

Did the spam filter eat my message? Spare others this nagging question and let them know you got their email.

12. Ask Before You Send Huge Attachments

Don't clog email systems without permission.

13. Talk About One Subject per Email Message Only

Help make the world less confusing. Try to talk about one subject per message only. For another subject, start a new email.

14. Punctuation Matters; in Emails Too

Comma, colon, hyphen and semicolon — all exist for a reason: they make it easier to understand the intended meaning of a sentence. Don't make life more difficult and possibly less interesting for the recipients of your emails. Pay some — though not too pedantically much — attention to punctuation.

15. Use Acronyms Sparingly

DYK? Not everybody knows every acronym, and they don't save that much time anyway.

16. Resize Pictures to Handy Proportions for Emails

When your photos look good in your email, you look good, too! Here's how to make sure your images are not larger than screens and mailboxes by resizing them in style — online and for free.

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17. Writing in All Caps is Like Shouting

Don't shout in your emails (and all caps is so difficult to read).

18. Be Careful with Irony in Emails

No, really! I mean it. Honestly!

19. Catch Typos by Printing Your Emails

You can often find typos or misplaced commas neither your spelling checker nor you yourself catch when proofreading on the screen.

20. Avoid Embarrassing Emails

Avoid embarrassing emails by sending them to yourself only (by default)

21. Set Your System Clock Right

Make sure you don't send messages from 1981. More »

22. In Doubt, End Emails with "Thanks"

If you don't know how to say good-bye at the end of an email, there's one thing that will almost always be appropriate. Thanks. More »

23. Where to Put Your Signature

Without a line sub-scripted "sign here", how do you decide where to place your email signature? Look here. More »

24. Wondering "How to Put That in Writing", Write "That"

Tell it like it is. Have you noticed how people who you understand perfectly well when you listen to them become cryptic when they start writing?

25. Compress Files before Sending Them via Email

Smaller is more beautiful, at least when it comes to email attachments. So make files smaller before your send them via email

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Appendix

100 Words

Word type meaning usage

aberration n something that differs from the norm

In 1974, Poland won the World Cup, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and Poland have not won a World Cup since"

abhor v to hate, detest Because he always wound up getting hit in the head when he tried to play cricket, Marcin began to abhor the sport"

acquiesce v to agree without protesting

Though Mr"

alacrity n eagerness, speed For some reason, Simon loved to help his girlfriend whenever he could, so when his girlfriend asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity"

amiable adj friendly An amiable fellow, Neil got along with just about everyone"

appease v to calm, satisfy When Jerry cries, his mother gives him chocolate to appease him"

arcane adj obscure, secret, known only by a few

The professor is an expert in arcane Kashubian literature"

avarice n excessive greed The banker’s avarice led him to amass an enormous personal fortune"

brazen adj excessively bold, brash, clear and obvious

Critics condemned the writer’s brazen attempt to plagiarise Frankow-Czerwonko’s work"

brusque adj short, abrupt, dis-missive

Simon’s brusque manner sometimes offends his colleagues"

cajole v to urge, coax Magda's friends cajoled her into drinking too much"

callous adj harsh, cold, un-feeling

The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury"

candor n honesty, frankness We were surprised by the candor of the politician’s speech be-cause she is usually rather evasive"

chide v to voice disap-proval

Hania chided Gregory for his vulgar habits and sloppy appear-ance"

circumspect adj cautious Though I promised Marta’s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more circumspect not to have specified a time"

clandestine adj secret Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the library, Maria actually went to meet George for a clandestine liaison"

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coerce v to make somebody do something by force or threat

The court decided that David Beckham did not have to honor the contract because he had been coerced into signing it"

coherent adj logically con-sistent, intelligible

William could not figure out what Harold had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent statement"

complacency n self-satisfied igno-rance of danger

Simon tried to shock his friends out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them"

confidant n a person entrusted with secrets

Shortly after we met, he became my chief confidant"

connive v to plot, scheme She connived to get me to give up my plans to start up a new business"

cumulative adj increasing, build-ing upon itself

The cumulative effect of hours spent using the World English website was a vast improvement in his vocabulary and general level of English"

debase v to lower the qual-ity or esteem of something

The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity"

decry v to criticize openly Andrzej Lepper, the leader of the Polish Self Defence party de-cried the appaling state of Polish roads"

deferential adj showing respect for another’s au-thority

Donata is always excessively deferential to any kind of author-ity figure"

demure adj quiet, modest, re-served

Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure"

deride v to laugh at mock-ingly, scorn

The native speaker often derided the other teacher’s accent"

despot n one who has total power and rules brutally

The despot issued a death sentence for anyone who disobeyed his laws"

diligent adj showing care in doing one’s work

The diligent researcher made sure to double check her meas-urements"

elated adj overjoyed, thrilled When he found out he had won the lottery, the postman was elated"

eloquent adj expressive, articu-late, moving

The best man gave such an eloquent speech that most guests were crying"

embezzle v to steal money by falsifying records

The accountant was fired for embezzling €10,000 of the com-pany’s funds"

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empathy n

sensitivity to an-other’s feelings as if they were one’s own

I feel such empathy for my dog when she’s upset so am I!"

enmity n ill will, hatred, hos-tility

John and Scott have clearly not forgiven each other, because the enmity between them is obvious to anyone in their pres-ence"

erudite adj learned My English teacher is such an erudite scholar that he has trans-lated some of the most difficult and abstruse Old English po-etry"

extol v to praise, revere Kamila extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-lov-ing boyfriend"

fabricate v to make up, invent When I arrived an hour late to class, I fabricated some excuse about my car breaking down on the way to work"

feral adj wild, savage That beast looks so feral that I would fear being alone with it"

flabbergasted adj astounded Whenever I read an Agatha Christie mystery novel, I am always flabbergasted when I learn the identity of the murderer"

forsake v to give up, re-nounce

I won't forsake my conservative principles"

fractious adj troublesome or ir-ritable

Although the child insisted he wasn’t tired, his fractious behav-iour - especially his decision to crush his jam sandwiches all over the floor - convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed"

furtive adj secretive, sly Claudia’s placement of her drugs in her sock drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the sock drawer is the first place most parents look"

gluttony n overindulgence in food or drink

Helen’s fried chicken tastes so divine, I don’t know how anyone can call gluttony a sin"

gratuitous adj uncalled for, un-warranted

Every evening the guy at the fish and chip shop gives me a gra-tuitous helping of vinegar"

haughty adj disdainfully proud The superstar’s haughty dismissal of her co-stars will backfire on her someday"

hypocrisy n pretending to be-lieve what one does not

Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent"

impeccable adj exemplary, flaw-less

If your grades were as impeccable as your brother’s, then you too would receive a car for a graduation present"

impertinent adj rude, insolent Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don’t wish to dignify them with an answer"

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implacable adj incapable of being appeased or miti-gated

Watch out: once you shun Grandmother’s cooking, she is to-tally implacable"

impudent adj casually rude, inso-lent, impertinent

The impudent young woman looked her teacher up and down and told him he was hot"

incisive adj clear, sharp, direct The discussion wasn’t going anywhere until her incisive com-ment allowed everyone to see what the true issues were"

indolent adj lazy Why should my indolent children, who can’t even pick them-selves up off the sofa to pour their own juice, be rewarded with a trip to Burger King?"

inept adj not suitable or ca-pable, unqualified

She proved how inept she was when she forgot two orders and spilled a pint of cider in a customer’s lap"

infamy n notoriety, extreme ill repute

The infamy of his crime will not lessen as time passes"

inhibit v to prevent, re-strain, stop

When I told you I needed the car last night, I certainly never meant to inhibit you from going out"

innate adj inborn, native, in-herent

His incredible athletic talent is innate, he never trains, lifts weights, or practices"

insatiable adj incapable of being satisfied

My insatiable appetite for blondes was a real problem on my recent holiday in Japan!"

insular adj separated and nar-row-minded; tight-knit, closed off

Because of the sensitive nature of their jobs, those who work for MI5 must remain insular and generally only spend time with each other"

intrepid adj brave in the face of danger

After scaling a live volcano prior to its eruption, the explorer was praised for his intrepid attitude"

inveterate adj stubbornly estab-lished by habit

I’m the first to admit that I’m an inveterate cider drinker—I drink four pints a day"

jubilant adj extremely joyful, happy

The crowd was jubilant when the firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building"

knell n the solemn sound of a bell, often indi-cating a death

Echoing throughout our village, the funeral knell made the grey day even more grim"

lithe adj graceful, flexible, supple

Although the dancers were all outstanding, Joanna’s control of her lithe body was particularly impressive"

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lurid adj ghastly, sensa-tional

Barry’s story, in which he described a character torturing his neighbour's tortoise, was judged too lurid to be published on the English Library's website"

maverick n an independent, nonconformist per-son

John is a real maverick and always does things his own way"

maxim n a common saying expressing a princi-ple of conduct

Ms"

meticulous adj extremely careful with details

The ornate needlework in the bride’s gown was a product of meticulous handiwork"

modicum n a small amount of something

Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity, Magda an-nounced her boss’s affair to the entire office"

morose adj gloomy or sullen David’s morose nature made him very unpleasant to talk to"

myriad adj consisting of a very great number

It was difficult to decide what to do on Saturday night because the city presented us with myriad possibilities for fun"

nadir n the lowest point of something

My day was boring, but the nadir came when my new car was stolen"

nominal adj trifling, insignifi-cant

Because he was moving the following week and needed to get rid of his furniture more than he needed money, Kim sold eve-rything for a nominal price"

novice n a beginner, some-one without train-ing or experience

Because we were all novices at archery, our instructor decided to begin with the basics"

nuance n a slight variation in meaning, tone, ex-pression

The nuances of the poem were not obvious to the casual reader, but the teacher was able to point them out"

oblivious adj lacking conscious-ness or awareness of something

Oblivious to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned un-til much too late"

obsequious adj excessively compli-ant or submissive

Donald acted like Susan’s servant, obeying her every request in an obsequious manner"

obtuse adj lacking quickness of sensibility or in-tellect

Political opponents warned that the prime minister’s obtuse approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mind-less war"

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panacea n a remedy for all ills or difficulties

Doctors wish there was a single panacea for every disease, but sadly there is not"

parody n a satirical imitation A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Magdalena acting out a parody of his teaching style"

penchant n a tendency, par-tiality, preference

Fiona’s dinner parties quickly became monotonous on account of her penchant for Indian dishes"

perusal n a careful examina-tion, review

The actor agreed to accept the role after a three-month pe-rusal of the movie script"

plethora n an abundance, ex-cess

The wedding banquet included a plethora of oysters piled al-most three feet high"

predilection n a preference or in-clination for some-thing

James has a predilection for eating toad in the whole with to-mato ketchup"

quaint adj charmingly old-fashioned

Mary was delighted by the quaint bonnets she saw in Roma-nia"

rash adj hasty, incautious It’s best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather than make rash decisions"

refurbish v to restore, clean up

After being refurbished the old Triumph motorcycle com-manded the handsome price of $6000"

repudiate v to reject, refuse to accept

Tom made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words"

rife adj abundant Surprisingly, the teacher’s writing was rife with spelling errors"

salient adj significant, con-spicuous

One of the salient differences between Alison and Helen is that Alison is a couple of kilos heavier"

serendipity n luck, finding good things without looking for them

In an amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Mark found a $50 bill on the back seat of the bus"

staid adj sedate, serious, self-restrained

The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what happened"

superfluous adj exceeding what is necessary

Samantha had already won the campaign so her constant flat-tery of others was superfluous"

sycophant n one who flatters for self-gain

Some see the people in the cabinet as the Prime Minister’s closest advisors, but others see them as sycophants"

taciturn adj not inclined to talk Though Magda never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite taciturn"

truculent adj ready to fight, cruel

This club doesn’t really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so truculent?"

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umbrage n resentment, of-fence

He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult"

venerable adj

deserving of re-spect because of age or achieve-ment

The venerable High Court judge had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years"

vex v to confuse or an-noy

My boyfriend vexes me by pinching my bottom for hours on end"

vociferous adj loud, boisterous I’m tired of his vociferous whining so I’m breaking up with him"

wanton adj undisciplined, lewd, lustful

Joanna’s wanton demeanor often made the frat guys next door very excited"

zenith n the highest point, culminating point

I was too nice to tell Emily that she had reached the absolute zenith of her career with that one top 10 hit of hers"

Top 500 key words

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Balanced - Bid - Bought - Briefed - Broadcasted - Broadened - Budgeted - Bundled

Calculated - Canvassed - Capitalized - Captured - Carried out - Catalogued - Categorized - Centralized - Certified - Chaired - Changed - Channeled - Charted - Closed - Coached - Co Authored - Coded - Co Founded - Cold-called - Collaborated - Collated - Combined - Commanded - Commenced - Commissioned - Communicated - Compacted - Compared - Competed - Compiled - Completed - Complied - Compressed - Comprised - Concentrated - Conceptualized - Concluded - Condensed - Conducted - Connected - Conserved - Consolidated - Constrained - Constructed - Consulted - Contended - Contested - Contracted - Contributed - Controlled - Converted - Conveyed - Convinced - Coordinated - Correlated - Corresponded - Corroborated - Counseled - Created - Critiqued - Cultivated - Curbed - Customized

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54

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Gained - Gathered - Gauged - Generated - Governed - Graded - Granted - Graphed - Grew - Grossed - Grouped - Guaranteed - Guarded - Guided

Handled - Headed - Highlighted- Hosted

Identified - Illustrated - Implemented - Improved - Improvised - Included - Incorporated - Increased - Induced - Influenced - Informed - Initiated - Innovated - Inquired - Inspected - Inspired - Installed - Instigated - Instructed - Instrumental - Insured - Integrated - Interacted - Interfaced - Interpreted - Interviewed - Introduced - Invented - Invested - Investigated - Invigorated - Involved - Isolated

Judged

Knowledgeable

Launched - Lectured - Led - Legalized - Leveled - Licensed - Limited - Linked - Liquidated - Listed - Listened - Litigated - Lobbied - Localized - Located - Logged - Lowered

Magnified - Maintained - Managed - Maneuvered - Manufactured - Marked - Marketed - Maximized - Measured - Mediated - Mentored - Merchandised - Merged - Minimized - Mobilized - Modeled - Moderated - Modernized - Modified - Molded - Monitored - Motivated - Moved - Multiplied

Negated - Negotiated - Netted - Nominated

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Observed - Obtained - Officiated - Offset - Opened - Operated - Ordered - Organized - Originated - Outlined - Overcame - Overhauled – Oversaw

Packaged - Packed - Participated - Passed - Patented - Penetrated - Perceived - Perfected - Performed - Persuaded - Petitioned - Phased out - Photographed - Piloted - Pioneered - Planned - Played - Portrayed - Positioned - Prepared - Presented - Prevented - Priced - Prioritized - Processed - Proclaimed - Procured - Produced - Proficient - Profiled - Profited - Programmed - Progressed - Projected - Prominent - Promised - Promoted - Proofed - Proofread - Propagandized - Proposed - Protected - Proved - Provided - Provoked - Pruned - Publicized - Published - Purchased - Pursued

Qualified - Queried - Questioned - Quoted

Raised - Rallied - Ran - Ranked - Rated - Realized - Rearranged - Reassembled - Rebuilt - Recalled - Recommended - Reconciled - Recovered - Recreated - Recruited - Redesigned - Redirected - Reduced - Refined - Regenerated - Registered - Regulated - Rejected - Related - Relocated - Remodeled - Renovated - Reported - Represented - Researched - Resolved - Restored - Restructured - Revamped - Reversed - Reviewed - Revised - Revitalized - Revived - Rewarded - Rewrote

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Tailored - Targeted - Taught - Tendered - Terminated - Tested - Toughened - Traded - Trained - Transferred - Transformed - Translated - Traveled - Tripled - Troubleshot - Truncated - Tutored

Uncovered - Underlined - Undertook - Unmasked - Upgraded - Utilized

Validated - Valued - Verified - Visited - Volunteered

Won